Down and out Michael Dorsey is hedging his bets, that is, on becoming an imposter female soap star. While the world falls in love with "Tootsie," completely unsuspecting that "she" is really a he, Dorsey's emotional attachment to his fellow leading actress begins to complicate things. The question remains, how exactly does one confess their love to a woman when she thinks you’re just another one of the "girls"?

TOOTSIE was nominated for the Best Picture award. Ten Oscar Nominations; one win (Best
Supporting Actress).

"What do you get when you cross a hopelessly
straight starving actor with
a dynamite red sequined dress? You get America's hottest new actress."

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The basic story involves an actor, Michael Dorsey
(Dustin Hoffman) who can't find work, because of his tendency
to be a perfectionist, which gives him a reputation of being hard
to work with. His agent, George Fields (Sydney Pollack), suggests
that he get some therapy, because "no one will work with
you on the East coast or the West coast." Being determined
to raise some money to produce his roommate's play, "Return
to Love Canal," he disguises himself as a woman to get an
acting job on a soap opera, as Dorothy Michaels, hospital administrator
and it works!

More good fortune comes Michael's way; Dorothy
becomes a super star!! However, as simple plans often do, things
begin to get more complicated, to the point of being intolerable.
Michael falls in love with an actress, Julie Nichols (Jessica
Lange), plus other hilarious problems and predicaments pop up
unexpectedly, as other characters fall in love with Dorthy, one
of them being Julie's father, Les Nichols (Charles Durning).

Pollack, with "Tootsie", offers an exceptionally well
directed movie. Pollack, who can be great ("The Firm")
and lousy ("Havana") really seemed to understand and
get inside the material here.

The screenplay is top notch. It was written by Larry Gelbart and
Murray Schisgal, from a story by Gelbart and Don McGuire. The
movie, while being funny, has some great truths to say about the
roles of men and women in society, without being preachy.

Hoffman, as Michael Dorsey, is a revelation as the man masquerading
as a woman. After awhile, the viewer begins to accept Tootsie
as a real woman. This is due more to Hoffman's amazing talent
than makeup magic.

Dabney Coleman gives a fine performance as the
chauvinistic director, Ron, who uses Julie, and cheats on her
as well.

Pollack has some fun scenes as Hoffman's agent.
Interestingly, Pollack began his Hollywood career as an actor,
and he's quite good.

There are many really funny moments in the film,
including Michael's audition, different filming of the show scenes,
Dorthy's babysitting for Julie's daughter scenes, and the trip
up to see Julie's father, Les.

However, our favorite scene sequence is when Michael
finally, on a live show, has the opportunity to improvise the
storyline of the episode, revealing to one and all that Dorthy
is really not a woman, in order to get his character written out
of the story, thus getting out of his contract. The reactions
of his fellow actors, as well as the producing staff, are priceless.